CRS Issue Statement on WMD and Missile Proliferation

Mary Beth Nikitin, Coordinator
Analyst in Nonproliferation

Paul K. Kerr
Analyst in Nonproliferation

Amy F. Woolf
Specialist in Nuclear Weapons Policy

Shirley A. Kan
Specialist in Asian Security Affairs

Steven A. Hildreth
Specialist in Missile Defense

Emma Chanlett-Avery
Specialist in Asian Affairs

Larry A. Niksch
Specialist in Asian Affairs


The possible proliferation of chemical, biological, and nuclear weapons (known collectively as Weapons of Mass Destruction—WMD) and their delivery systems to additional nations or subnational groups poses significant challenges for U.S. national security policy. The complex challenges presented by the threat of WMD proliferation have diplomatic, technological, and economic aspects. The United States is a signatory to several international agreements, including the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty, the Chemical Weapons Convention, and the Biological Weapons Convention, that seek to contain the spread of these weapons to other nations. Washington also pursues policies that seek to slow or prevent the proliferation of weapons or materials from specific countries, such as Russia, Pakistan, and China, and to dissuade or prevent the acquisition of these weapons and related technologies by specific countries, such as Iran and North Korea, and subnational or terrorist groups.


Date of Report: January 8, 2010
Number of Pages: 3
Order Number: IS40408
Price: $7.95

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